『』『』『』『』『』
The second day of the special exam had reached the afternoon, and the third group discussion for the Snake group had come to an end.
As expected, it was another unproductive session.
By this point, most students had lost any motivation to participate. Some mindlessly scrolled through their phones, others engaged in idle chatter, and a few simply buried themselves in manga. Any pretense of taking the exam seriously had all but vanished.
It wasn't much better for the other group either.
『So? What did the others do during the discussion? 』
After the discussion, Kumagawa found himself sitting at a ramen shop on the lower deck, sharing a meal with Kushida.
She had been unusually insistent this time.
During the third discussion, she had sent him a message-
- Let's have lunch together.
It wasn't a request. It was more of a decision, as if she had already assumed he would say yes.
Not that Kumagawa minded, of course. Lately, their relationship had been... cooperative. That was probably the best way to put it. A partnership where both gave and took. Or, in Kumagawa's case, where he mostly took.
He glanced at her from across the table, watching as she quietly stirred her ramen. Her brows furrowed slightly at his question.
Then, with an irritated sigh, she set down her chopsticks.
"That group is the worst," she muttered.
『Oh? That bad?』 Kumagawa asked, tilting his head in amusement.
"That room is nothing but a congegrated mass of selfish egos left and right. None of them care about working together. It's just a bunch of idiots pushing their own agendas."
Kushida stabbed her chopsticks into her ramen, swirling the broth around in frustration.
Kumagawa slurped his noodles, waiting for her to elaborate.
"First, there's Katsuragi. Trying to talk to him is like talking to a rock. No, worse. At least a rock might echo back your voice. Katsuragi just sits there in silence like he's a monk who's sworn an oath never to speak unless the gods themselves command it."
『Sounds tough. 』
"Then there's Ryuuen. God, every time he opens his mouth, all I hear is the squawking of an ugly pelican trying to assert dominance over a pond that doesn't even belong to him. He thinks he's so clever, but all he does is stir up chaos for the sake of it. No one actually trusts him, and honestly, I don't even think he trusts himself."
『There's still Hirata, right? He's usually the nice guy type, so it's probably not that dysfunctional.』
"Hah." Kushida let out a bitter laugh. "He's as useless as everybody else. Oh sure, he tries-he does that whole 'let's work together, guys!' routine, but guess what? Nobody listens. He's basically a mascot at this point."
Even the kind-hearted Hirata didn't escape her wrath. Poor guy, even though he tried his best.
『What about Horikita? Surely she's at least contributed something, right?』
The moment he mentioned her name, Kushida's entire expression twisted into something dark. The smile she always wore, the one that made her seem like the perfect, friendly classmate was gone. Her gaze sharpened, and for a brief moment, the real Kushida surfaced.
"Kumagawa-kun. Did you do that on purpose?" she said slowly, her voice eerily calm.
『What are you talking about? I'm just asking a harmless question without any sort of hidden intention to provoke you or anything.』
Kumagawa, of course, did exactly that, without a shred of shame or guilt. But honestly, he wasn't even lying this time-he was just keeping himself entertained.
Kushida looked pissed, but at this point, it was an expected respond coming from Kumagawa. And if she got someone to blame, it's herself to have someone like Kumagawa to hear her venting, but as unfortunate, as it gets, it was only him she could count on.
She wondered where did she go wrong as to have the worst solution and the worst possible outcome with the worst possible person.
Then, as if something snapped, she started.
"That girl is the worst. She just sits there, acting like she's above it all, barely saying anything unless it's to shoot someone down. It's infuriating. Especially in this exam. She's even more useless than Ryuuen-a completely useless one. Every single time she opens her mouth, I just want to-ugh. Her voice alone pisses me off. It's always that same flat, emotionless tone, like she thinks she's better than everyone in the room. That condescending attitude of hers makes me sick. You'd think someone like that would at least be good at reading the room, but no. She's completely oblivious. She doesn't get people. She doesn't even try to listen."
Her fingers clenched into a fist on the table.
"And yet, despite all that, people still listen to her. Why? What has she ever done that's so impressive? Even I did more than her in the last exam, so why did everyone listen to her? I worked harder than her in the last exam, so why?"
Silence settled between them.
Her voice was so sharp that if words could kill, Horikita would've been long dead.
『... 』
Kumagawa finally spoke, swirling his chopsticks in his ramen.
『Well... That was a lot of words for someone you totally don't care about. 』
Kushida shot him a glare, but he just smiled.
Thankfully, this restaurant wasn't too crowded, since most groups were still stuck in their discussions, and it wasn't one of the usual spots students went to. It allowed Kushida to vent freely without worrying about eavesdroppers.
『Anyway, this restaurant is good. How did you find it?』
Kumagawa slurped his noodles, completely ignoring her stare-and her entire outburst-as if it had never happened. There was no reaction, no attempt to acknowledge her anger, nothing. It was as if she had just given a passionate speech to a wall.
Kushida narrowed her eyes.
"Did you even hear what I just said?"
『Yeah, I heard you. Loud and clear. 』
Kumagawa didn't even hesitate. He took another bite of his ramen, chewing leisurely at his own pace.
Kushida stared at him, waiting for some kind of reaction. A comment, a dark joke, anything. But Kumagawa just continued slurping his noodles, completely unbothered.
『Oh, this is good. The broth is especially nice. Shiranui-chan would love this. 』
"Shiranui?"
『My old classmate. A real charmer, if you can overlook her bottomless appetite.』
That caught her interest.
Kushida realized something. She barely knew anything about Kumagawa's past. He never talked about his old school, his previous classmates, where he came from, or anything remotely personal.
That made her curious.
"Your old classmate, huh? What kind of school did you go to?" She leaned in slightly, resting her chin on her palm.
『Hakoniwa Academy. Ever heard of it? 』
She shook her head.
『Didn't think so. It's a pretty hardcore place. Definitely not your average school. 』
"Hardcore how?"
Kumagawa lazily spun his chopsticks in his bowl, as if considering how to phrase it.
『Hmm... Let's put it this way. This school is designed to nurture the elites of the future, right? Hakoniwa has the same idea, but... way more extreme.』
"Extreme?"
『Yup. It's a school where geniuses and monsters gather. There's no pretending, no playing fair, no equal footing. If you can't prove your worth, you're irrelevant. That's just how it works. 』
Kushida went silent for a moment.
That was... intense.
This school already had a ruthless system designed to crush those who couldn't keep up. But from the way Kumagawa described it, Hakoniwa Academy sounded like something far worse.
And yet, he had survived in a place like that?
"...And Shiranui?"
『Oh, she was just a glutton. A cute one, though. A cute glutton if you will. Mmm, well, she was also a bit of a brat. But a funny brat. You'd probably get along with her. 』
"That's it?"
That was a bit of an oversimplification.
『What else? I wasn't particularly close with her. In fact, I think she hated me to some extent. Maybe even a lot. 』
Even though Kushida had never met this Shiranui person, she found herself believing that without question. It was just that easy to imagine someone hating Kumagawa.
It was probably justified.
『But it's not like I was mad about it or anything. If anything, I think it made sense. I was... a lot different back in Hakoniwa Academy.』
"Different?"
『Believe it or not, I was a lot worse back in the day. 』
"Bullshit."
She didn't even hesitate.
Kumagawa? Worse than he was now? That was almost impressive. Even now, he was annoying, insufferable, and way too unpredictable for her liking. If there was a version of him that was even worse, she'd rather not imagine it.
『I used to screw people over all the time back then. Shiranui-chan included. Though to be fair, most of the time, they were the ones forcing my hand. So, really, it's not my fault. 』
"'Screw people over?' You mean, like, causing problems for them?"
『...Yeah. It's definitely like that. 』
There was a slight pause. For some reason, she had a feeling there was something she wasn't getting.
Did screwing people over mean something else?
『Anyway, since I was a transfer student, I was pretty popular back then. Even the student council president herself took notice of my existence. And long story short, Shiranui-chan set things up so I could fight the student council president directly without any interference, and-』
"Wait, what? Back up. How the hell did it even get to that point?"
Kushida held up a hand, trying to process what she just heard.
The way he jumped from being noticed to fighting the student council president was so sudden that she didn't even know where to begin untangling the mess of a story he was spinning.
First of all, what did he mean by popular? She highly doubted it was the good kind of popularity. Knowing Kumagawa, it was probably the infamous troublemaker everyone hated kind.
And what was that about fighting the student council president? That wasn't something that just happened in a normal school. It wasn't like people just got to fight the student council president out of nowhere. That would be ridiculous.
For now, she needed to clarify one thing that was bothering her.
"When you say fight, do you mean, like, a competition in terms of votes? As in, a political battle for student council influence or something?"
Kushida decided to ignore the fighting part for a moment. Going by that logic, that would at least make some kind of sense.
But Kumagawa gave her the answer she expected but hoped wasn't true.
『What do you mean? Of course it was a fistfight. Hand-to-hand. A real battle where you keep hitting each other until either your bones break or your fighting spirit collapses. That kind of fight. 』
"....."
She had no words.
『At that time, I was trying to usurp and dethrone Medaka-chan for the student council president position for myself. I even screwed up some of her friends in the process. So naturally, that was the logical course of action. 』
Screwed...?
And what did he mean by logical? There wasn't a single thing remotely logical about that school from what he was describing.
『By the look on your face, it seems you don't believe me. But don't overthink things. It was the kind of place where absurdities like bombings were allowed, so you really don't need to fret over the details. 』
"B-Bombing?"
『Yup. 』
Kushida now had even more questions than answers. It wasn't even a matter of whether he was lying or not-just hearing it phrased like that made Hakoniwa Academy sound less like a school and more like a war zone.
『Well, of course, I lost in the end. And the result was that I was accepted as the vice president. 』
"....."
What was wrong with that school? What was wrong with its student council?
The sequence of events made no sense. Kushida was completely baffled by how that place functioned. Even the qualifications for leadership sounded absurd based on his description.
But more than that... for someone like Kumagawa to be accepted as the student council vice president, that meant there had to be something equally wrong with that Medaka girl. As inhuman as Kumagawa was, the student council president had to be just as inhuman-if not more so-to allow someone like him into the council despite everything.
『Hmm? What's with that look, Kushida-chan? Don't worry. I don't hold a grudge over the result, since that was the expected outcome after all. 』
Hearing his response, Kushida felt the urge to ask something that had been bothering her for a while now, something that lingered at the back of her mind every time she spoke with him.
"Kumaga-"
Ding!
Suddenly, both of their phones vibrated simultaneously, a notification popping up on the screen. A message from the school.
[The Monkey group's exam is now over. Students in the Monkey group no longer need to participate in the exam. Please be mindful of your actions and avoid disturbing the others.]
"Over?" Kushida muttered, furrowing her brows.
『The Monkey group, huh. 』 Kumagawa tilted his head slightly. 『Do you know anyone from that group, Kushida-chan? 』
"I basically know everyone in the first year. There's no one I don't recognize." Kushida let out a small huff, as if the question was pointless. She also seemed rather proud of that fact.
『Wow, that's pretty impressive. You really remind me of my favorite subordinate, The General Affairs Manager, Sukinasaki Saki-chan. Even in Suisou Academy, she remembered every student, their names, and even their seat numbers. 』
"General Affairs Manager? What kind of nickname is that? Didn't they at least feel a little bit offended?"
『...? What are you talking about? It's a legitimate position in the student council. 』
"...???"
Kushida stared at him, completely baffled.
Of course, she knew that "General Affairs Manager" was a real title, but what she didn't understand was why Kumagawa spoke as if it had any actual significance. The way he phrased it, the way he acted like it meant something—it just didn't sit right with her. It felt like they were on completely different wavelengths, and for some reason, she had the urge to clarify.
"I know this may sound rude, but how did you even get elected as a student council member? No matter how you look at it, it's unbelievable. No-it's impossible."
『What do you mean student council member? I'm the student council president. 』
"That's even more unbelievable."
『Hey, hey. Despite how I look, I was pretty popular in my previous previous school. And to protect the peace of Suisou Academy, the student body elected me and dethroned the previous student council president for me. 』
What?
No, seriously, what?
She wanted to dismiss it immediately, but the confidence in his tone was just a little too annoying.
First of all, that was clearly a lie.
Second, Kushida could barely accept the idea of Kumagawa being the vice president of Hakoniwa Academy or whatever it was called. That, at least, seemed plausible if it was some forced decision from that Medaka girl.But this? This was on another level of absurdity.
The student body elected him? That was like saying Yamauchi became student council president because everyone wanted him to.
If there wasn't something fundamentally wrong with that school, then the only explanation was brainwashing. Because no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of a single reason why anyone would willingly put him in charge of anything.
『Well, let's put aside my glorious student council history for now. More importantly, Kushida-chan, tell me about the Monkey group members.』
Kushida clicked her tongue in annoyance but decided to go along with it.
She proceeded to list off the members of the Monkey group one by one, going from Class A to Class D. Kumagawa, on the other hand, recognized almost none of them. Including the ones from his own class.
Except for the girls.
『Kōenji? 』
He paused, blinking a few times as if processing something. Then, an amused smile crept up his face.
『Ah, so he was a monkey all along. Well, that certainly explains a lot.』
"What do you-"
"Oh? If it isn't the cockroach."
Before she could finish her sentence, an all-too-familiar voice cut in. Ryūen appeared out of nowhere, accompanied by a one of his classmates.
Kushida clicked her tongue in annoyance. First, it was the sudden notification interrupting their conversation. And now, this annoying guy?
"What are you doing here? And why is it that whenever I want to relax, you specifically show up right in front of my face? Seriously, get lost."
Kumagawa turned to him as if he had only just noticed his presence.
『What is it, Ryūen-chan? Or actually Ryūen-tan. You're getting quite involved in my affairs today, aren't you?』
"Don't call me Ryūen-tan."
For someone who had started this exchange by insulting him, Ryūen sure got irritated fast. Honestly, it was kind of pitiful.
The girl beside Ryūen let out a small sigh before speaking up in a calm, gentle tone.
"Ryūen-kun, you shouldn't be so rude, insulting people right away isn't very nice." she said softly.
Her words lacked any real force, making it clear that she wasn't trying to start a confrontation, just offering a light reprimand.
Kushida recognized her immediately. She was from Kumagawa's group, no doubt about it. If she remembered correctly, her name was Shiina Hiyori.
Ryūen, of course, completely ignored her advice. He shoved his hands into his pockets and smirked.
"Hah? This is the appropriate way to greet someone like him," he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Ryūen's smirk widened.
"By the way, you've been doing something pretty interesting in the exam, haven't you?" He turned his attention back to Kumagawa, his tone practically accusing him of something inappropriate.
『I have no idea what you're talking about, Ryūen-chan. 』
"Playing dumb, huh? You've been gaslighting your entire group into believing you're not the VIP, haven't you?" Ryūen let out a short laugh.
『You shouldn't judge a person based on circumstantial evidence. Besides, I was just helping my teammates arrive at the right conclusion. 』
Once again, Kumagawa contradicted himself within the same breath. But at this point, nobody even cared. It was just how he was.
Ryūen didn't even acknowledge the contradiction. He simply smirked and continued.
"Yeah? And what conclusion would that be?"
『That I'm not the VIP, of course. 』
"Hah. You really are screwing with them, huh?" Ryūen scoffed.
Then, as if suddenly curious, he turned to Hiyori.
"What do you think?"
Hiyori, who had been quietly observing the exchange, looked at Kumagawa with an unreadable expression. She stared at him for a few long seconds, as if trying to decipher something. For some reason that made someone uncomrtable.
Then, finally, she let out a soft sigh and simply shook her head.
"Tch. Whatever." He grinned, looking satisfied. "Doesn't matter anyway. I already got what I needed."
Then, his expression turned sharp again. "But listen, coakroach, keep screwing around like that, and you'll lose before you even realize it. And that would be boring as hell. I expect more from you."
His tone dripped with arrogance, making it clear that Ryūen saw Kumagawa as nothing more than his plaything.
And Kumagawa, of course, knew exactly what he meant.
Kushida did too. She had already heard from Matsushita-Kumagawa's actions during the discussions were completely erratic. He contradicted himself constantly, pushed bizarre theories, and misled his group at every opportunity.
Was he doing it on purpose?
And speaking of Matsushita... how close was she with Kumagawa, anyway?
Before she could dwell on that thought, a sudden chill crawled up her spine.
Ryūen's gaze had shifted toward her.
"Oh yeah. What's up with you two? Whenever I run into this guy, you're always with him. And you're looking real close. You guys dating or something?"
"Hah?" Kushida immediately frowned.
What was with this assumption? Why did people keep thinking that? She didn't see herself as particularly close to Kumagawa, at least not in any way that stood out. From her perspective, they were just two people who happened to talk from time to time. But somehow, others always got the wrong idea.
And then, before she could even try to refute it-
『We're soulmates. 』
"Kumagawa-kun, shut up for a second."
The words left her mouth on instinct, almost before he even finished speaking.
It was bad. Really bad.
Kumagawa always threw out nonsense, but sometimes, his nonsense had real consequences. And if Ryūen took what he said at face value, things could get really annoying for her.
Her reputation was everything. Even if it was just a joke, even if it wasn't meant seriously, a rumor like this could spread in an instant. And once something like that took root, getting rid of it would be a nightmare.
Especially with Ryūen. For a guy like him, destroying someone's reputation was a piece of cake.
"Ahaha, don't listen to him. You know how Kumagawa-kun is. He just says whatever nonsense comes to mind." Kushida forced out a laugh and waved a hand dismissively.
But Kumagawa, of course, ignored her attempt to brush it off and instead doubled down.
『Eh? But it's true. We're deeply connected, right, Kushida-chan?』
Kushida felt her eye twitch. This idiot.
"Hmph. Anyway, my mood's soured thanks to you. I don't feel like eating anymore." Ryūen clicked his tongue and turned away.
"Let's go, Hiyori."
Without waiting for a response, he strode out of the restaurant, completely ignoring both of them.
Hiyori, on the other hand, lingered for a moment. She gave a small, polite bow.
"I apologize for Ryūen-kun's behavior."
Her tone was gentle, without a hint of sarcasm, and Kushida could tell she meant it. Then, without another word, she followed after Ryūen, leaving Kushida watching her back.
A girl like that, stuck in the same class as that tyrannical dictator... How unfortunate.
With Ryūen gone, she turned toward Kumagawa, irritation clear on her face.
"Seriously, what was that soulmate nonsense!? Do you have any idea what'll happen if rumors about that start spreading?"
She could already imagine the consequences. It would compeletly crumble her whole persona in an instant as people would start looking at her differently.
But Kumagawa, as always, didn't seem the least bit concerned.
『Kushida-chan, you really worry too much. You should have more faith in probability theory.』
"...Probability theory?" She narrowed her eyes.
『Yup. Ever heard of it?』
He smiled like a teacher about to explain something to a particularly slow student.
Kushida resisted the urge to sigh. This was Kumagawa. She had zero faith in whatever nonsense he was about to say. In the first place, how was he even planning to explain this with probability theory?
But... she'd humor him. Just this once.
『Let's consider the spread of a rumor as a function of Bayesian probability. In simple terms, the likelihood of people believing something depends on the prior credibility of the source. Now, in this case, you would be considered a high-credibility source-your reputation is solid, your social standing is impeccable, and people generally have no reason to doubt you. If you claim something, the probability of others accepting it as fact approaches near certainty. 』
"Baye-what?"
She barely had time to process the unfamiliar term before Kumagawa kept going. His words came fast, spilling out without pause, filled with technical jargon that made her head spin.
And he just keeps going. Kumagawa placed a hand on his chest with a dramatic flourish.
『Now, let's introduce me. Unlike you, I am an unreliable narrator, a source with a negative credibility rating. In probabilistic terms, if I claim something, the likelihood of it being taken seriously decreases. The expected value of my words trends toward zero.』
"That just means no one trusts you."
She got the gist of it, barely. But that was such a roundabout way of saying he was an untrustworthy piece of garbage.
『Correct! But now, let's introduce a third variable: Ryūen-chan.』
Kumagawa raised his hand, making a dramatic gesture as if presenting Ryūen like some kind of scientific specimen. Judging by his tone and the way things were going, he seemed completely serious about this explanation. But kushida has no intention of contemplating this new information.
『Ryūen-chan is a special case. He is a high-awareness, low-trust individual. Meaning, people assume everything he says is some sort of manipulation. In mathematical terms, if he states a fact, the perceived truth-value undergoes an inverse correlation. The more insistent he is, the more people doubt him.』
"...And?" Kushida crossed her arms
『Suppose both I and Ryūen-chan push the same narrative-that you and I are 'soulmates,' for example. What happens?』
"...People won't believe it?"
『Exactly! Because we are two unreliable sources reinforcing each other, the probability of the rumor being accepted doesn't increase-it decreases. The moment two untrustworthy sources agree on something, people subconsciously register it as false information. It's the same reason conspiracy theories fall apart when too many known liars push them. 』
Kushida felt her head hurting. She wasn't sure if his explanation was actually intelligent or just incredibly convoluted nonsense wrapped in scientific terms.
Even if she didn't fully get what he was trying to prove, something about it felt off.
"If two unreliable people keep repeating a rumor... wouldn't that eventually make people start questioning if there's some truth to it? Isn't that just how the human mind works?"
『Ah, but that only applies when the unreliable sources aren't self-aware. The moment two known liars actively try to sell the same story, it stops being an accidental rumor and starts looking like an obvious setup. Humans are programmed to distrust something that feels too convenient. 』
Kushida narrowed her eyes. It was still an overly complicated mess of logic, but...
He really did have an unconventional way of thinking. If he knew this kind of knowledge, shouldn't he be smart?
And yet, he was one of the lowest scorers in the entire school.
It was like everything about him existed in extremes.
A genius and an idiot. A liar who told the truth. A worthless loser who was somehow a threat.
A completely indecent human being in every way possible.
『By the way, Kushida-chan... speaking of probability, don't you think there's a rather high chance that you're about to be late? 』
"Hah?"
She instinctively checked her phone.
-!!!
12:56 PM
In just four minutes, the Dragon Group discussion would begin.
"Crap! I don't have time for this!"
She practically jumped out of her seat, glaring at Kumagawa as she hurriedly grabbed her things.
"We're not done talking about this!"
『Run, run, before they start thinking you're unreliable. 』
She didn't even have the time to retort. With one last frustrated look, she sprinted out of the restaurant.
『...』
Kumagawa blinked, then turned his attention back to the table.
『...So, am I supposed to pay for all this? What happened to financial equilibrium? This is really unfair.』
No one answered.
『』『』『』『』『』
Ryūen walked through the lobby with Hiyori beside him, his hands stuffed into his pockets. Then, as if something had been on his mind, he suddenly spoke up.
"Hey, Hiyori. What do you think? Was that cockroach lying about being the VIP or not?"
Hiyori tilted her head slightly, giving the question some real thought.
"...I'm not sure. It's hard to tell if he's lying or not." she admitted softly.
"What do you mean 'hard'?" Ryūen raised an eyebrow.
Hiyori pursed her lips, struggling to put it into words. "It's like... he was telling the truth and lying at the same time."
"...What?"
She could tell Ryūen wasn't following, so she tried to explain it in a more direct and simple manner.
"It's like he believes his own lies, or maybe... he lies as easily as he breathes, and tells the truth just as easily. So, I don't know what to make of it."
Ryūen glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
In Class C, Hiyori was one of the more competent ones-unlike those idiots who could only bark but had no bite. She was smart, perceptive, and useful in her own way.
And yet, for someone as sharp as her to be unable to determine whether Kumagawa was lying or not...
It meant that cockroach was better at hiding his thoughts than Ryūen had expected. Or maybe he was just that good of a liar. Neither possibility was particularly reassuring.
As they continued walking, Hiyori turned toward him with a rather curious expression.
"Ryūen-kun, was it really necessary to ask Kumagawa-kun if he was the VIP?"
Ryūen glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
"Hah? What, you think I did that just for fun?"
Hiyori shook her head. "No, but... you're trying to find the pattern in how the VIPs were assigned, aren't you?"
At that, Ryūen smirked.
She really was sharp. Even though he never explicitly stated he was testing multiple approaches to uncover the VIPs, she had picked up on it anyway. A testament to how perceptive she could be when it mattered.
"Yeah. And I already have a pretty good idea of how the VIPs are distributed. But just because I'm pretty sure that idiot's the VIP doesn't mean I should leave it at that."
Hiyori considered his words for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully.
Even without further explanation, she could probably see where he was going with this.
Kumagawa Misogi was unpredictable in a way that was genuinely erratic. He was someone who could lie with absolute sincerity and tell the truth in a half assed manner. That kind of person wasn't just difficult to read, he made the very concept of "reading" someone unreliable.
If Ryūen simply relied on his gut and let himself believe that Kumagawa was the VIP without testing other angles, he'd be making a mistake. The moment he started trusting what was "likely" when it came to that guy, was the moment he put himself at a disadvantage.
That was why even a question that seemed unnecessary was worth asking.
As they reached the end of the hallway, Ryūen slowed his pace.
"Keep an eye on that cockroach. Even though I'm pretty sure he's the VIP, it won't hurt to watch him."
Hiyori, who had been walking beside him quietly, suddenly stopped.
"...Ryūen-kun, could you stop calling him that?" Her tone was calm as usual, but there was a hint of discontent in her voice. She didn't usually complain about things, but every time Ryūen called Kumagawa a cockroach, she seemed vaguely displeased.
Ryūen blinked and looked at her like she had just said something ridiculous.
"Hah? You actually care about that?"
"He's my friend," she said simply.
That was even more baffling to him.
"Why the hell are you friends with a guy like him?" Ryūen frowned.
Hiyori tilted her head slightly, as if the answer was obvious. "He's interesting. A little weird, but interesting."
She placed a finger on her chin, thinking for a moment.
"...And he wastes time with me in the library," she added. "We read together sometimes, so I'd say that makes us friends."
Ryūen narrowed his eyes slightly.
This was troublesome.
Hiyori was an important student for Class C. She was smart, observant, and-despite her airheaded tendencies-one of the few in the class he actually found useful. But if she kept hanging around Kumagawa, there was a chance she could be influenced by him somehow.
Even Ryūen himself felt a little uneasy around that guy. He couldn't put his finger on why, but something about Kumagawa's presence made his instincts scream at him to tread carefully.
And yet, Hiyori seemed completely okay with it.
Was it because of that airheaded aura of hers? She had a habit of drifting through things without letting anything really get to her. Maybe that was why she could tolerate someone like Kumagawa.
Still, maybe he should push some of the other idiots in their class to spend more time with her. If she had more normal people around, she might not waste so much time with someone like him.
But...
Ryūen exhaled sharply through his nose.
"Whateverm as long as you do your job, I don't care who you hang out with." he said, waving a hand dismissively.
"Of course." Hiyori smiled slightly.
With that, they split ways-Hiyori heading toward wherever she planned to go, and Ryūen making his way toward the Dragon Group meeting room.
『END』
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